November 12, 2007. Time: 3.55 pm. Venue: The Bidar Air Base. The Sun is on its way down. The black asphalt strip lies in quiet anticipation. Suddenly, three Suryakirans drop out of thin air, trails of smoke in orange, green and white combining to draw a fantastic canvas across the Bidar sky. Close behind the thinning smoke, gliding across the sky from the east towards the west come a pair of Hawk MK132. Dropping out of sight, they reappear to the accompaniment of blazing lights with tremendous speed. After executing a circle, the pair land on the runway.
With that came the realisation of the two-decade-old dream of the Indian Air Force, of integrating the Hawk fighter aircraft into its fold.
The British-made Hawks will fill up the gap between Slow Jet Trainers like Kiran, built by HAL and ultramodern aircraft like the SU-30MKI (Sukhois) and Mirage 2000. Most importantly, these Hawks will be substituting Mig-21s, notoriously known as Flying Coffins.
Beginning with their maiden flight in 1974, the Hawk story spells nothing but success. An integral part of several air forces in the world, the inclusion of these Advanced Jet Trainers (AJT) into the Indian Air Force has been quite late.
The idea to include Hawks into the force germinated during late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi’s time. However, endless political manoeuvres coupled with other complexities caused endless delay in the matter.
With this inclusion, the Air Force can look forward to enhance its capabilities in aerial warfare and the like.
Not all parts of the newly arrived Hawks are British. These aircraft have been ‘Indianised’ to suit our conditions, in collaboration with HAL. The entirely transparent cockpits allow two pilots to function smoothly. Capable of maintaining stability under external factors, the Hawks can maintain uniform velocity and remain in a straight line of light. They can be fuelled mid-air as well! With the aid of electronics, they are bound to hit their targets with accuracy. Also, with the aid of technology embedded in the aircraft, the Hawks can fix their flight schedules anywhere in the world.
Beginning their journey from Wharton in the UK on November 8, the two Hawk fighter aircraft journeyed through Tolouse (France), Malta (Mediterranean), Ireikilon (Greece), Sharm-el-Sheikh (Egypt), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Muscat (Oman) and Jamnagar before landing at the Bidar Air Base on November 12.
Bidar Air Base is the sole Hawk training school in the country, where flight and bombing training will be imparted to Air Force Pilots from June 2008. After witnessing the acrobatics of the Suryakirans, the Bidar sky will now be full of the sounds and manoeuvres of the Hawks.
Looking back...
The Bidar Air Base holds a special place in history, with its world-class runways built by the American Air Force during the Second World War, between 1943 and 1947. The air base was used by the aircraft from Europe and Singapore that stopped on their way to Japan for refuelling.
The authorities selected Bidar to build an airbase for its relative secure location in faraway South India, away from important cities like New Delhi and Kolkata. The Nizams of Hyderabad, who ruled the region, allowed the American Government to build the base.
Moreover, the flat topography and the hard, reddish ground (rich in Laterite) were conducive for building the airbase. Supply of fuel to the base was also easy with rail and roads linking Bidar with Hyderabad and Madras (Chennai). A special track was laid from the railway station up to the air base. The air base was used by the Americans till the end of Second World War.
After Independence and before the liberation of the Hyderabad-Karnataka region, the Nizam began storing arms and ammunition to fight the Indian Government at the base. Australian Sydney Carter, an amateur pilot, used to fly in arms to the base from several countries.
Recalls former MLC Arshad Ali, who was an active participant in the liberation movement: “The Indian Air Force bombed the Bidar Air Base during the conflict with the Nizam in 1948. Even after the province was integrated into the Indian Federation, the airport was not used for many days.”
India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had also visited Bidar in 1952 and 1962 during election campaigning.
After the Indo-China war, the Indian Government proposed to set up an air base in the South when the Bidar air base came to its notice. A training school was set up at the base during 1962-63 for the pilots of the Air Force as well as other armed forces. Currently, training on flying the Suryakiran fighter aircraft is being imparted here and now. The inclusion of ultra-modern fighter aircraft Hawk will add teeth to the might of the armed forces.
The airport at the base is also being used by the president, the prime minister and several national leaders while touring North Karnataka and South Maharashtra regions. Now, the runway at the airport will also be used for civil aviation, say authorities.
Translated by B S Srivani
